Shoe



Patented Oct. 27, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3Clalms.

This invention relates to shoes and primarily to ladies shoes of the cemented type.

The main object of the invention is the provision of a cemented shoe characterized by great flexibility in the region of and forwardly of the ball line and substantial rigidity in the heel and shank portions of the shoe.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a cemented shoe of the rand-insole type characterized by substantial rigidity in the region rearwardly of the ball line.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved open-shank shoe.

A yet further object is generally to improve the art of making cemented shoes.

For a complete understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following description and to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the insole, shank piece and upper on a last, with part of the upper broken away;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the shoe;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the completed shoe;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section at the shank of the shoe;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of the parts of the upper at the shank;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of a modification of the shank piece on the insole.

Referring to the drawing in detail, there is shown, applied to a last, an insole III which, as here shown. comprises a heel portion i l, a shank portion I2 and a rand l3 outlining a recess H which is complementary to and is filled by a central raised portion l5 at the forward part of the outsole l6 when the latter is applied. This insole is thin and flexible and may be produced in one piece by cutting the same from the flesh side of the outsole It. The thickness of the insole is preferably substantially equal to the height of the projection l5 above the rest of the outsole so that when said projection is fitted into the recess I, it is substantially flush with the top surface of the rand and forms therewith a smooth continuous surface. Instead of making the rand 13 integral with the shank portion II, it may be made initially separate therefrom and subsequently united therewith. This may be done by cutting the rand l3 from the flesh side of an outsole, cutting the heel and shank portions H and I! from the flesh side of preferably the same outsole, and then cementing and/or stitching the rear transverse edges of the rand I3 to the forward transcompleted verse edge of the shank portion ll so that the recess M will be outlined by the rand l3 and the forward edge of the shank portion H and will be complementary to the raised portion I5 of the outsole I6 and in all other respects substantially 5 similar to the insole-outsole combination I0 and i6 illustrated in the drawing. The insole may,

however, be an ordinary full insole of thin flexible leather, and the outsole may also be an ordinary outsole of suitable thickness. In this case, the 10 insole may be formed by splitting the same from the flesh side of the outsole for the full width and length thereof. Any other insole-outsole combination used in cemented shoes may be employed.

After the insole I0 and the complementary outsole l6 are produced according to one of the methods described above, a shank piece I! of relatively thick and stiff leather, preferably sole leather of suitable thickness, is attached to the heel and shank portions II and I! of the insole for the full width thereof preferably by being cemented thereto with the grain side of the shank piece exposed. The forward edge of the shank piece is merged into the plane of the insole and does not extend beyond the ball line of the shoe 25 and, as here shown, is preferably spaced rearwardly of the ball line. Thus, the forward edge of said shank piece extends beyond the heel of the shoe and terminates at the shank side of the ball line. The forward edge of the shank piece is 30 preferably stitched to the insole by a transverse line of stitching l8 passing through the shank portion i2 and the front edge of the shank piece I I. As shown more clearly in Fig. 2, the forward edge of the shank piece is inclined toward the heel of the shoe from the inner edge of the shoe toward the outer edge, as the inner edge of the shank piece extends forwardly beyond the outer edge of the shank piece.

The insole l0 and the attached shank piece are 40 then applied to the last, as shown in Fig. 1, being secured thereto by temporary tacks (not shown) with the shank piece 11 underlying the insole Hi. The upper I9 is then lasted and cemented to the insole l0. A metal shank stiffener 20 is then se- 5 cured to the insole, and then the outsole I6 is applied and cemented to the insole and the overlapping portions of the upper, a flap Ilia being split from the heel portion of the outsole for covering the breast of the heel 2| which is subsequently applied and secured in the usual manner.

When the shank piece extends to the ball line, bulging of the insole and the shank piece at or near the ball line may take place. This bulging hinders the application and the cementing of the outsole in position and is otherwise objectionable. To prevent the formation of a bulge in the insole and shank piece when the latter extends substantially to the ball line of the shoe, the forward portion of the shank piece Ha (Fig. 6) is provided with a notched or cut-out portion 28 and with a marginal portion 29 in the approximate area outlined by the forward edges of the shank piece and the dotted line 30, which is tapered toward said edges and skived thin. The shank piece Ha may be secured to the insole I by cement and/or stitching 180. on a transverse line inclined toward the heel of the shoe as described in connection with Fig.2. In the shoe, the front end portions of the forked portion 29 of the shankpiece Ha. lie substantially horizontal on the top surface of the insole at the ball line. The shank piece Ila, while shown superposed on the heel and shank portions of the insole [0, may replace said portions in which case the rear edge portion of an insole extending to the ball line or the rear transverse edges of a rand may be united by cement and/or stitching with the transversely spaced edges of the shank piece in the region of the notched part 28. Thus, the innersole may be constituted by the shank piece Ila extending forwardly preferably substantially to the ball line of the shoe and a front insole portion or a rand similar to the rand I3, extending rearwardly to the ball line, the heel and shank portions l l and I2 of the insole 10 being omitted and replaced by the shank piece Ha. As in the case of the insole and shank piece shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the shank piece Ila may extend from the heel to a transverse line on the shank side or rearwardly of the ball line in the finished shoe.

As here shown, the shoe is of the open shank type and the upper thereof comprises a forward or vamp portion 22 and a rear or counter portion 23 spaced from each other at the shank of the shoe whereby to expose the side edges of the shank portion l2 of the insole and the superposed shank piece ll. As shown in Fig. 5, pieces of finishing material such as upper material 24 and strips of lining material 25 are attached between the vamp portion 22 and the counter portion 23 of the upper by lines of stitching 26 passing through the flaps 24, lining strips 25, the vamp and counter portions 22 and 23 and attached lining 22a and 23a. As shown in Fig. 4, the flaps 24 are folded over the upper surface of the insole or the attached shank piece I! and may be cemented thereto. A sock lining 21 may then be applied and the shoe finished in the usual way.

The invention, although illustrated in connec tion with an open shank shoe, is of course not restricted thereto but may be applied generallyinthe manufacture of shoes especially shoes of the cemented type. The forward edge of the shankpiece may terminate, especially in a shoe of the pump type, close to the breast of the heel, or may extend further toward or to the ball line of the shoe. Other changes in the construction and arrangement of parts may be made. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction shown except as may be required by the appended claims and the prior art.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A shoe comprising a thin flexible insole having a recess in the forward portion thereof, the rear edge of said recessbeing disposed substantially at the ball line of the shoe, a relatively stiff leather heel and shank piece overlying the heel and shank portions of the insole and terminating at its for ward edge rearwardly of the ball line of the shoe, an upper having the sides thereof spaced at the shank portion of the shoe to expose the side edges of the insole and overlying shank piece at the shank portion of the shoe, thin ornamental material covering the exposed side edges of the insole and shank piece, and an outsole having a raised forward portion fitted into the recess in the insole.

2. A cemented shoe comprising an insole having a heel portion, a shank portion and a front rand portion of thin flexible leather outlining a recess terminating substantially at the ball line of the shoe, a relatively stiff leather shank piece overlying said insole, an upper cemented to the undersurface of said insole, a narrow metal shank stiffener secured to said insole on the undersurface thereof, and an outsole cemented to said upper and insole and provided with a central raised part positioned in the recess of said insole.

3. A cemented shoe comprising an insole having a heel portion, a shank portion and a front rand portion of thin flexible leather outlining a recess terminating substantially at the ball line of the shoe, a relatively stiff leather shank piece overlying said insole, said leather shank portion having a forward notched portion of reduced thickness, an upper cemented to the undersurface of said insole, a narrow metal shank stiffener secured to said insole on the undersurface thereof, and an outsole cemented to said upper and insole and provided with a central raised part positioned in the recess of said insole.

CHARLES MILLER. 

